Scott Owens - REALTOR®

Hallowe'en is a much-anticipated, and largely celebrated holiday in our home. After having just completed decorating our yard, I thought I would "decorate" my blog in honour of the holiday as well. Hallowe'en is North Americas' 2nd most popular holiday for decorating; it is estimated that 80 percent of American adults plan to give out candy, and that 93 percent of children plan to go trick-or-treating. But how many of those numbers actually know the history of this holiday?

Hallowe'en has its origins in the ancient Celtic Festival known as "Samhain", a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture, which is sometimes regarded as the "Celtic New Year". The term "Hallowe'en" is shortened from "All Hallows' Even" (both "even" and "eve" are abbreviations of "evening ") as it is the eve of "All Hallows' Day", which is now also known as "All Saints Day". It was a day of religious festivities in various northern European Pagan traditions, until Popes Gregory III and Gregory IV moved the old Christian feast of All Saints' Day from May 13 (which had itself been the date of a pagan holiday, the Feast of the Lemures) to November 1, in 835 A.D. Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient pagans to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, now known as Hallowe'en, the boundary between the alive and the deceased dissolved, so spirits of the dead and inhabitants from the underworld were able to walk free on the earth, causing problems such as sickness and/or damaged crops. Costumes and masks were worn at the festivals in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or placate them; it was believed necessary to dress as a spirit or otherworldly creature when venturing outdoors to blend in, and this is where dressing in such a manner for Hallowe'en comes from.

Houses were protected against bad spirits with candle lanterns; if the spirits got past the protection of the lanterns, the custom was to offer the spirits parcels of food to leave and spare the house another year. If children approached the door of a house, they were also given offerings of food - Hallowe'en being a harvest festival - which served to ward off the potential spirits that may lurk among them. This gradually evolved into trick-or-treating because children would knock on their neighbours' doors, in order to gather fruit, nuts, and sweets for the Hallowe'en festival.

The carved pumpkin, lit by a candle inside, is one of Halloween's most prominent symbols in America, and is commonly called a Jack o' Lantern. Originating in Europe, these lanterns were first carved from a turnip or rutabaga. The name Jack-o'-lantern can be traced back to the Irish legend of Stingy Jack, a greedy, gambling, hard-drinking old farmer. He tricked the devil into climbing a tree and trapped him by carving a cross into the tree trunk. In revenge, the devil placed a curse on Jack, condemning him to forever wander the earth at night with the only light he had: a candle inside of a hollowed turnip. The carving of pumpkins is associated with Halloween in North America, where pumpkins were readily available and much larger, making them easier to carve than turnips. In America the tradition of carving pumpkins is known to have preceded the Great Famine period of Irish immigration; it was originally associated with harvest time in general in America and did not become specifically associated with Hallowe'en until the mid-to-late 19th century.

It is important (I think) to note that Hallowe'en did not become a holiday in the United States and Canada until the 19th century, where Puritan tradition restricted the observance of many holidays. American almanacs of the late 18th and early 19th centuries do not include Halloween in their lists of holidays. The transatlantic migration of nearly two million Irish following the Irish Potato Famine (1845-1849) brought the holiday to the United States. Scottish emigration, primarily to Canada before 1870 and to the United States thereafter, brought the Scottish version of the holiday to each country. Original celebrations of Scottish-American and Irish-American societies were dinners and balls that celebrated their heritages, much as Columbus Day celebrations were more about Italian-American heritage than Columbus. Home parties centred on children's activities, such as bobbing for apples, and various divination games often concerning future romance. Not surprisingly, pranks and mischief were common as well.

While I hope that you found this blog to be informative, please note that it is written from my Irish-Catholic perspective and is, in no respect, a complete history of the holiday. This blog does not take into account the many cultural variations of the holiday practised in the world today, nor the religious views of the holiday. For more information on the holiday, I recommend you visit Wikipedia for their very detailed description.

Thanks for reading! I welcome you to comment about the things that you and your family do to celebrate Hallowe'en...don't be afraid to include pictures!

WARNING: Contains small parts and extreme sarcasm. Not recommended for children under 18, or people who don't understand satire...

Divorce Barbie blog author Mirela Monte suggested, after numerous comment exchanges on her blog, that we collaborate on a "Barbie Blog" in honour of Barbies upcoming 50th birthday. My initial response: "there's just something a bit creepy about a 38-year-old man writing about Barbies in his blog. Maybe I will do a "Ken" blog and link it to yours..." Well, she called me on it, and here I sit, writing about a toy that I will never admit to having used...ever...no really...NEVER!

In researching for this blog (yes, I said "researching"), I found out that there are 12 billion different kinds of Barbies, accessories, items, appliances, products, and stuff with Special Editions for every damn facet, job title and minute corner of life you can think of. Not to mention Barbies for every popular cultural icon, movie, hobby or even piece of clothing. However, there are precious few "Ken" dolls (at least not funny ones)... so I took some liberties with my versions:

"Biker" Ken® - Harley-Davidson® Ken® doll will once again ride in style in his fun, edgy and authentic Harley-Davidson® outfits. Intricate details like working silvery zippers, silvery buttons and chains, and Harley-Davidson® Motorcycle logos accent their ultra-hip biker ensembles. Ken® doll looks hot in his denim shirt, white knit tank top, and black leatherette chaps worn over his blue jeans. Silvery stud accents and a silver and black Harley-Davidson® shield buckle complete his outfit. He's got that true cool biker edge with his chest "hair" and "beard," and the "born to ride" tattoo on his forearm! Doll is pose able so he can "ride" the Harley-Davidson® Fat Boy® replica (sold separately).

(Editorial note: This one is actually a real doll - and what I wrote was a portion of their ad-copy. Who at Barbie HQ found Hell's Angel's so cuddly and adorable? This doll is for little girls?! "Ultra-hip"? "He looks hot"? Chest hair?! Somehow I can't imagine a Hell's Angel going up to another saying, "Dude...does this shirt make my chest look buff? "Do these chaps make my ass look fat?" I'm assuming Harley-Davidson® had to OK this since their logo® and name are all over it, in which case someone ought to take the "workable chains" found on the Biker Ken® and go throttle some CEO.)

"Metro" Ken®

Comes with a man-bag ("Murse") containing skin moisturizers, hand cream, hair gel, and back-wax. "Limited Edition" version has a certificate for a pedicure and spa treatment.

Sometimes confused with:

"Alternative Lifestyle" Ken

®

Aw, heck: call it what it is. This Ken is gay (as in "homosexual", not "excessively happy and bright"). The doll wears a satin vest and mesh shirt so his ripped stomach is exposed, a chain necklace with a rainbow color metal ring on it, a bracelet, rings, and one earring. Optional purple mesh shirt, purple vest and blue pants.

"Homeboy" Ken® - Truly a "fly" Ken in sweatshirt and baggy jeans. Comes with gold jewelry, hip-hop accessories and plenty of attitude. Pull the cord and he says things like "Yo' Homey," "Dang, get outta my face," and "Bro's Before Ho's." Look for the "Puff, Puff, Pass" accessory kit.

"Transgender" Ken®, er, Barbie®, er, Ken® (Who knows?) - Formerly known as G.I. Joe. Comes with three, count 'em, three, of Barbie's dresses, and a chiffon scarf to cover his Adams apple. This versatile doll can be easily converted from Ken to Barbie by simply adding or subtracting the multiple snap-on parts.

"Gangsta" Ken® - This recently paroled Ken comes with a 9mm handgun, a switchblade knife, a Chevy with dark tinted windows, and a Meth Lab Kit. Raiders jacket and Rap CD included. This model has been hard to find since the addition of the stroller and infant doll to the Barbie line.

"Pimpin'" Ken® - This doll is dressed in the finest leather his girls money can buy, complete with red beret, jewel-studded cane and assorted "bling". A true "action-figure", push the button on his back and witness his "pimpslap" backhand; even curses and mumbles derogatory terms when string is pulled. This model is only available after dark and must be paid for in cash (preferably small, untraceable bills)...unless you are a cop, then we don't know what you are talking about. Optional 1979 Caddy sold separately.

"White Trash" Ken®: He's larger and meaner than them other prissy, citified, think-thur-better'n-you Kens! This pale, mullet-haired model comes dressed in Wrangler jeans two sizes too small, a NASCAR t-shirt and sports a fashionable jailhouse tattoo on his forearm. When you push the button on his back, he will spit over 5 feet! Comes with Barbie's Dream Double Wide Trailer. The "Special Edition" gift set comes with two packs of Marlboro Lights, a six-pack of Bud Light and a Hank Williams Jr. CD set. Purchase his pickup truck separately and get a confederate flag bumper sticker absolutely free.

"Married Life" Ken® - With Beer-bustin' expanding waist*. Molded to recliner. Clothed in a dirty white muscle shirt and his tighty-whities, his hand is conveniently shaped to fit the included miniature TV remote control (not attached so that it can get lost every once in a while to replicate life). The doll says, "Where's the remote?" "Shut up woman!" and "Git me a beer." Coupons included for real beer and chips. (*Please note that waist cannot be reduced once expanded).

"Crash-Test" Ken® - Comes with car, helmet, snappy-looking crash test suit and brick wall. Some RE-assembly required.

"Ripped-Off-In-The-Divorce-Settlement" Ken®: - Pull the string on his back and he unloads a torrent of insults and death threats for his ex's new man-toy. Comes with a hatred for all women, and a Malibu tan (except for a white band on the ring finger of his left hand).

"Twelve-Step" Ken®: Pull the string on his back and he says, "Hi, I'm Ken and I'm an alcoholic." Comes with a "One Day at a Time" bumper sticker, a 30-day chip and a pack of smokes.

"Hacker" Ken® (Formerly "Web Site Designer" Ken®) - The aim of these dolls is to revert the stereotype that "pretty" men are numerophobic, computer-illiterate, and academically challenged. Comes equipped with Kens very own xterminal and UNIX documentation as well as ORA's "In a Nutshell" series. The doll is robed in a dirty button-up shirt and a pair of worn-out jeans with Casio all-purpose watches and thick glasses that can set ants on fire. Pocket protectors and HP calculators optional. The doll has the incredible ability to stare at the screen without blinking his eyes and to go without eating or drinking for 12 hours straight. His vocabulary mainly consists of technical terms such as "IP address," "TCP/IP," "kernel," "NP-complete," and "Alpha AXP's."

Future Hacker Ken dolls will include several variations to deal with the complex aspects of hacking. "Hacker Ken Goes to Jail" will teach computer ethics to youngsters, while "K3N R1TES L1KE BIFF!!!" will serve as an introduction to expository writing.

"Mid-Life Crisis" Ken® - Barbie and Ken had a falling out. She got the dream house, he got the mid-life crisis. Ken's is pierced and tattooed in an effort to relive his 20's and he's shacked up with the Swedish au pair in the penthouse suite. Comes with your choice of BMW convertible or Hummer H1. This doll likes to "experiment," but will never commit. Comes with a coupon for a sample bottle of Viagra.

"Internet Porn Addiction" Ken® - This doll is complete with a pale complexion, bloodshot eyes, and coffee-stained, wrinkled clothes. Comes with a 3-month subscription to "Barbies-Gone-Wild.com" and a box of Kleenex. Pull his string and...on second thought, we recommend that you do NOT pull the string.

"Blue Collar" Ken®: Comes with overalls, protective goggles, hard hat, lunch pail, CAW membership, pamphlet on union-organizing and is missing three fingers on his left hand. Also included is a replica 1984 Toyota 4-runner with expired temporary tags and empty beer cans in the truck bed.

"Steroid" Ken® - This model has a highly exaggerated physique, has no neck and is anatomically correct (according to doctor's reports of the effects of steroids). Every detail was thought of when they included pus-oozing back-acne and overactive sweat glands. Pull the string and listen to his "Roid Rage". Major League Baseball uniform included {specify desired team}.

Special edition 'Arnold' Ken is equally big and buff, but when you pull the string he says, "Cahl-ee-FOR-nee-ah".

"Lion Tamer" Ken® - Ken has run off and joined the circus...as a lion tamer! Unfortunately, training was not considered prior to making this decision. Lion is included; Kens head is not.

"Mafia" Ken® - Dark Italian suits, Cuban cigars and an SUV are the order of the day with this model. Comes with a violin case (you got a problem with that?). Mafia Barbie® (Feet set in cement--she really sinks!) is no longer available, as she has not been seen since the release of the Mafia Ken doll.

Please drop in to read the "sister" blog to mine - Mirelas Barbie Blog

Thanks Mirela for asking me to do this blog. I really learned a lot about myself...now I think it's time to go call my shrink.

I thought I would share this inspirational story with the AR community in honour of "Hump Day". I did not write it and do not know who did; it has been floating around cyber space for a few years. Whether or not you have seen it before, I hope that you enjoy...

I was at the local corner store, buying some early potatoes; I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprizing a basket of freshly picked green peas.

I paid for my potatoes, but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

'Hello Barry, how are you today?'

'H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look good.'

'They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?'

'Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time.'

'Good. Anything I can help you with?'

'No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas.'

'Would you like take some home?' asked Mr. Miller.

'No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay foem with.'

'Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?'

'All I got's my prize marble here.'

'Is that right? Let me see it' said Miller.

'Here 'tis. She's a dandy.'

'I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?' the store owner asked.

'Not zackley but almost.'

'Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble', Mr. Miller told the boy.

'Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.'

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile said, 'There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever.

When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or a orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.'

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man.

A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles, even though several years went by.

Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died; they were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them.

Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer what words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men.

One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket.

Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket.

Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles.

With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket. 'Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size...they came to pay their debt.'

'We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,' she confided, 'but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho '.

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

The Moral : We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath.

My dog thinks he is a cat. It's really not his fault - he was brought into our household when he was less than 6 weeks old and had only cats to learn from.

After watching my 80-Lb dog playing with a ball of yarn with the cats one day, I took him out to the dog park. Almost immediately, he began acting like his new friends: barking, chasing a ball, and slobbering all over himself. At this point I realized: "What a great example of a lesson I have been trying to teach my kids":

"We tend to behave like the people with whom we associate, so if we want to be taken seriously in life and business, we better choose our friends and colleagues carefully".

Surrounding yourself with the success models will automatically steer your life and your efforts toward success. A success model is someone who either has achieved a goal you are working towards or can guide you in the path towards achieving it. On the other hand surrounding yourself with the wrong crowd will make it much harder for you to succeed. Whenever you spend a lot of time around a person, you naturally become more like them - whether they are a good or a bad influence.

Your initial impression might be there are no undesirable relationships in your life, but the fact of the matter is, for some people the only thing standing between them and success is the people with whom they associate. Examine the people around you-your family, friends, acquaintances and the people with whom you work, determine the effect are they having on you, and then decide whether or not these relationships are supporting and expanding your ability to create the desired results in your life. For some people in our lives, the answer is clearly "yes". But if you're not sure, then it's time to take a closer look at these relationships. If you find that these are "toxic" relationships, the sooner you eliminate them, the better. If it is not possible, or too awkward, to discontinue the relationship, then at least minimize it, but don't be mean, and don't reject them as people. When you DO spend time with these people, do your best to direct the conversation - have them talk about things that they love, so that you can experience the positive side of them - you may even become their success model.

We should all strive to create an environment where we can flourish. When we surround ourselves with positive, intelligent, and energetic people, we feel that positive energy; we find that we are able to achieve those goals that we set out to and we are able to rely on our friends to support us and guide us through decisions. When we surround ourselves with people who have the same goals and attitudes, we are creating a positive, growth-creating environment. When we go the next step and surround ourselves with people who have what we want, we are able to draw from their knowledge and wisdom, and are able to see, first hand, those things that are important to us in action, including relationships, fitness, and finances.

If we create an environment that encourages us, then we are able to achieve our dreams.

(Warning: today's entry contains material that may be offensive to some readers. Particularly if you don't understand satire).

1. Pay particular attention to your mailing's subject: Always use exclamation points (!), CAPITALIZATION, the words "free" & "guaranteed", and/or gappy text (t h i s i s g a p p y t e x t). This will help me identify the mail as being legitimate.

2. Use generic salutation formulas such as "Dear User", so that I know that you are someone I know and can trust.

3. If you use a title, make sure the title is confusing. That way I have to open the mail to see what it is.

4. Include a disclaimer stating that your email isn't SPAM, and ALWAYS claim compliance with some legal criteria, especially one that is not actually law in my country.

5. Include gratuitous references to SPAM subjects. Talk about Rolex watches, sexually oriented activities, Rx drugs, or debt treatment. An email which mentions all of the above in one email will very surely get a response from me; chances are I will need at least one of your products at some point in my life.

6. Always offer me a free gift if I forward your message to all of my friends or follow your link. Make it an expensive gift so that I will know that you are serious; be careful to make no reference to the terms and conditions of your gift.

7. Make sure that the product you are selling is one I would never need, or even use. Kudos to the SPAMmer who wrote me to tell me that my account at WaMu was suspended until I followed their link and signed into my account...I am Canadian, and therefore do not have an account at that bank.

8. Use poor grammar (eg. "their" for "they're"). Nothing lends credibility to your cause like a big dose of stupidity.

9. Use poor spelling, so that I know that you care enough about your cause to forget to use spell-check, or even a dictionary ("Looses" is not the same as "loses," and when used as a verb means "to let loose," or "to free from restraint." Granted, "loses" does rhyme with "chooses," which does have two "o"s, but such inconsistency is the price we pay for not speaking Esperanto).

10. Punctuation is overrated. Although you used 15 exclamation points (!) in your title, don't bother with any in the body of your letter. I like a challenge, so the more confusing you can make your mail, the more accomplished I feel when I decipher it.

11. I like it even better when you eliminate all capital letters. Reading a letter without capital letters AND missing punctuation makes it really interesting, as I have to figure out when you have started a new sentence.

12. Put at least one confusing quote at the bottom of the e-mail, such as the one I received the other day: "Dolls always whizgiggled at me and even fellows did in the open water closet!Well, now I whizgiggle at them, because I took Me_ga. d_ik. for 3 months and now my pecker is terribly greater than world." If you are going to SPAM me, you may as well give me a good laugh while you're at it.

13. Sign your mail with a fake name. If you are selling Viagra, I suggest "Harry B. Humongous", if selling noise-canceling headphones, you could be "Balthazar P. Quietude", etc. It's your mail, so you can be whomever you want; I just ask that you be imaginative.